Some students are entering college and graduating with the inability to write scholarly and professionally. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to examine the perceptions of college instructors and students about the essential writing skills of entering first-year college students within a Southwestern university. This study provided insight into strategies to engage students in the writing process, both before and after entering college. Vygotsky's social constructivism provided the framework for this study. The research questions included an examination of the perceptions of students' writing skills based on what instructors, students, and writing center personnel observed; what instructors and students believed to be essential writing skills necessary for entering first-year college students to be academically successful; and what the writing center personnel and students' perceptions were regarding writing resources that were deemed beneficial to entering first-year college students to help improve their writing skills. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 12 participants: 4 instructors, 5 students, and 3 writing center personnel. Data analysis included theme identification based on key words from the interviews. According to study results, findings revealed factors that contributed to poor writing, common writing errors, required writing skills to be academically successful, and writing resources. These findings led to the development of a 3-day professional development (PD) workshop. Participation in the PD workshop may lead to modifications in the curriculum at local high schools and entry-level courses taught to entering first-year college students, resulting in positive social change.

The importance of communication in the engineering profession is widely acknowledged by various stakeholders, including industry, academia, professional engineers, and engineering students. Even though alternative strategies to help students improve their ability to communicate professionally have been approached by many engineering programs across the country, research indicates a continued dissatisfaction of employers when it comes to the performance of engineers as communicators in the workplace. This perspective suggests efforts to improve students’ communication skills in universities may be inconsistent with workplace needs, revealing an apparent gap between what is taught and what is expected from engineering professionals. This gap provides an opportunity for additional research to identify the specific communication competencies required for engineers to succeed in the workplace. Particularly, the requirements of industry concerning engineers’ communication skills need to be understood more deeply, so that new educational interventions may be carefully tailored according to employers’ expectations and that both communication and engineering faculty can revisit their strategies to teach students to become better communicators. In order to obtain a deeper understanding of industry’s expectations concerning engineering communication skills, a qualitative research study was implemented to provide a detailed description of the communication skills practicing engineers need while working in industry. The exclusive focus on industry was pursued through the development of case studies. Four industrial segments (High-Tech, Automotive, Aerospace, and Manufacturing) that employ a significant percentage of engineers in the U.S. were selected. Engineers in leadership positions from each of the selected industrial segments participated in in-depth interviews and discussed about the expected engineering communication skills in industry. The results revealed that: 1) oral communication is prevalent in the engineering profession; 2) engineers need to tailor their messages to multiple audiences and to select the most appropriate type of communication medium; 3) written communication is expected to be clear, concise, and precise; 4) global communication is an increasingly demanded requirement in industry.

Socially withdrawn children are at increased risk for various maladaptive outcomes. One intervention suggested to mediate these outcomes is the use of peermediated social skills training. However, little research supports its use with socially withdrawn children; even less research has investigated the role of peer mediators in the generalization of treatment effects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a generalization training package on the generalization of socially withdrawn students and their peer mediators' interactions. This study compared the effectiveness of various procedures in a peer-mediated intervention on the generalization of prosocial interactions with socially withdrawn students and examined how students' perceptions of social support, bullying experiences, and intervention acceptability changed as a result of the peer-mediated social skills training intervention. Results indicated that the socially withdrawn participants engaged in more prosocial behavior following the intervention and that it generalized to a highly unstructured, novel setting with multiple students.

I studied the acquisition of foraging skills by lambs eating shrub or grass in three experiments. The general approach was to isolate those skills involved in prehending forage from those related to the acceptance of novel foods. Treatment lambs received 15 times more exposure to grass or shrub than did control lambs. Lambs were tested in 2.5 x 2.5 meter monocultures of shrub or grass 5 min/d, on two separate occasions. Height, bulk density and spatial arrangement of plant material were controlled during testing. In Experiment 1, I studied the acquisition of foraging skills by lambs on monocultures of shrubs. I found that inexperienced lambs ingested less forage per unit time than experienced lambs because they had less developed prehension skills. Lambs were more successful at plucking individual leaves than breaking twigs from branches or stripping 1 eaves. Lambs emphasized prehension patterns that were most successful. In Experiment 2, I explored the extent to which foraging skills gained on shrub or grass are specific to shrub or grass. Grass-experienced lambs were more successful at prehending and ingesting grass than were shrub experienced lambs. No statistical differences were observed between shrub- and grass-experienced lambs at prehending and ingesting shrub although numerical values were higher for shrub- than grass-experienced lambs. I hypothesize that a relationship exists between plant form, prehension pattern and foraging experience. In Experiment 3, I studied the degree to which lambs experienced with grass or shrub vary in their ability to prehend and ingest vegetative and flowering grass. Grass- and shrub-experienced lambs ingested more flowering than vegetative grass per unit time. Grass-experienced lambs were more efficient than shrub-experienced lambs at prehending and ingesting vegetative and flowering grass. Shrub-experienced lambs experienced more difficulty at prehending flowering compared to vegetative grass while grass-experienced lambs did not.

Research shows that social skills are a critical component of children’s development and related to children’s academic success. Conversely, problem behaviors are correlated to negative outcomes later in life for children such as lower academic achievement and juvenile and adult criminality. Certain parenting beliefs and behaviors have been found to relate to fewer problem behaviors in children, and an increase in social skills. However, existing research has focused mostly on the parenting behaviors and social outcomes in children using Anglo-American samples. Little is known about the relation of parenting behaviors and beliefs to the development of social skills in Hispanic families. Using the HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment), the Parental Modernity Scale, and the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale (BAS), measures of the relation and predictive ability of parenting behaviors, beliefs and acculturation to social skills in children as measured by the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) are calculated. Findings suggest that the progressive subscale scores from the parental modernity scale and the family companionship subscale from the HOME are predictive of higher scores on the SSRS socials skills scale in prekindergarten Hispanic children. Acculturation was not related to higher social skills scores or fewer problem behaviors in children. The results are discussed in light of previous research and existing knowledge on what the results mean for the parenting behaviors and beliefs of Hispanics. (75 pages)

To achieve poverty alleviation as stated by the UN’s global goals and agenda 2030 more research in the field is needed. The MSME segment has a vital role to play for economic growth in developing countries. However, no clear growth has been seen for these enterprises even though much aid has been given. Efforts to create a business training system has been made but will play a bigger role in the future.  Thru a comparative cross-sectional study it is showcased what skills are connected to enterprise growth. This study aims to help explain what managerial skills should be further investigated when it comes to investing time and resources in business training systems. By interviewing the MSME managers on site and discussing the matter with CEO’s of business training organizations unique data was collected. With the help of NVivo software data is processed and categorized. Final correlations to growth by examining the differences between growing and non-growing managers skills in different fields.  Similarities in skills prioritized between managers in growing and non-growing was detected. Findings suggest that business plan and accounting skills are more present in growing enterprises. Ultimately the differences were not enough to demonstrate managerial skill as a strong contributor to enterprise growth.

Several studies indicate that more than half of all college freshmen are not prepared to read and analyze college-level texts. The problem of college reading becomes more formidable when it comes to community college students, who often enter college with socio-linguistic factors that pose challenges to literacy learning. Historically, interventions have consisted of developmental, or remedial, courses after which students are expected to demonstrate college-level literacy. While extensive studies have been conducted on the efficacy of remedial programs in community colleges, few studies have examined how students navigate texts in courses that presuppose proficiency in reading. This grounded theory study investigated ways in which students in an introductory chemistry course at a community college in New York City navigated texts. It documented and analyzed both the students’ beliefs and decisions in the chemistry classroom and outside-of-school spaces as well as the professor’s perspectives of the students. The findings revealed that the notion of literacy reaches beyond the text (Moje, 1996; Rosenblatt, 1988); literacy and intertextuality necessitate the consideration of disciplinary context, instruction, and a larger sociocultural context of the reader. Because of the constantly evolving nature of literacy in context, the findings highlight a need to rethink literacy instruction in the college classroom.

A major question asked is whether literacy skills from a first language are able to be transferred to a second language that does not share the same writing features, grammar, graphic conventions or even the same type of writing system. The purpose of this study was to analyse the role of first language literacy in second language acquisition where languages are quite different. Specifically, it was designed to investigate the relationships between first language(Persian) writing skills and second language(English) writing performance. That is, it investigated the extent to which Iranian primary school children who were already literate in their first language drew upon literacy skills and concept knowledge of literacy from their first language to use in their second language. It was hypothesised that second language learning might be affected by both learners' and parents' attitudes and motivations. Subjects for the study were 70 Iranian students in grades 3, 4, and 5 who attended NSW state primary schools plus Persian School on Saturday and Sunday. Results of the study indicated that the first language Farsi writing skills specifically linguistic and holistic skills were transferred to the English language. Parents' influence on children's English writing skills were not found to be an important determinate in linguistic and holistic writing measures, although there was a relationship between the active parental influence variable and students' English writing technical skills. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The research reported here focuses on the application of multimedia to the teaching of information skills in academic libraries. Specifically, the research project has involved the development and evaluation of a multimedia system to instruct novice users of online library catalogues. The research has included an investigation of the characteristics and needs of novice library users. The ways in which novices approach using library-based information technologies which may be applied to any instructional programme for teaching novices how to use library-based information technologies. The research project has involved the development of a comprehensive multimedia system based on the theoretical model. The multimedia system was designed using Macromedia Director v.4.04. The production techniques and operation of the multimedia system are described in some detail. The multimedia system was evaluated and tested using formative evaluation strategies. The evaluation involved the prototype system being reviewed by expert librarians, and multimedia producers, as well as novice users of online library catalogues. The information gathered during the evaluation was used to make suggestions about improvements to the design of the prototype. The results of the evaluation are reported and analysed. / Master of Arts (Hons)

This thesis critiques the role that reflection plays in leading teacher professional development. It critically explores the reflective processes that five Advanced Skills Teachers use to create meaning for their practice and to direct their professional learning. The research inquired into how this activity has contributed to their ongoing professional growth by connecting important learning events of the past, to decisions made and action taken when dealing with current problematic curriculum issues. This is relevant as the research was set within Brisbane Catholic Education during a time of system initiated curriculum reform. The theoretical framework for the research was primarily underpinned by critical social theory. It was also guided by an interpretative philosophy, In order to give some consideration to the personal dimension of experience. A case study approach was adopted as it promoted collaborative inquiry. This offered scope and flexibility to extrapolate and to critically explore the embedded values and thinking that underscored the teachers' decisions and actions. Most data were collected through a number of ongoing semistructured and open-ended interviews. The emergent design for the research allowed for systematic, yet flexible and ongoing data collection, analysis and participant feedback. Other supporting data included folio documentation, artefacts, an inquiry project summary sheet and a research diary. The research concluded that reflection plays an important role in enabling teachers to accept moral and professional responsibility for their own personal and professional development. However, this research has attested that there is no single model of what it means to be a reflective practitioner. Reflective practice and teacher professional development are highly idiosyncratic, complex and multi-dimensional phenomena that are clearly influenced by the interplay of a wide range of personal and contextual factors. The research revealed that teachers utilise a variety of reflective forms and processes, through various modes, to serve context specific interests. It also concluded that it was the teacher's explicit awareness of the critical intent behind thinking and subsequent action that appeared to be important to professional growth. This intent was consistently framed around each teacher's moral commitment of care and responsibility to the students as persons and learners. It became the most salient impetus behind professional deliberations and generative efforts to improve practice. Emotion tended to playa powerful, mediating role in this process. Moreover, reflection on the cognitive, affective and social dimensions of knowledge appeared to enable the teachers to consider the values• and ideals that underscored decisions and subsequent actions. The research concluded that reflection involves highly interactive cognitive and sensory processes that enable the teacher to connect with the self, with the students and with others in and beyond the school community. Reflective activity also seemed to enable the teachers to consider the consequences of dealing or not dealing with system initiated curriculum reforms, from the perspective of the students' best interests. The research revealed how the current emphasis on curriculum reform has influenced efforts to create a more holistic curriculum that gives attention to the person of the student. The modelling of reflective processes and the negotiation of aspects of the curriculum with the students provided worthwhile opportunities for these teachers, as well as their students, to articulate assumptions that underscored decisions and actions. The engagement in introspective self-dialogue, social reflection and reflective collaboration with peers and students appeared to enhance personal and professional development. This research also concluded that• administrative recognition and tangible support at the personal, school and system level provided conditions that were conducive to ongoing teacher renewal and development.